A Little Night Ride
by me you and kaoru
Summary: Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao drive off into the forest one day and accidently run over something. What will they do when that "something" is now trying to kill them? Chapter 7 up.
1. Chapter 1: The Ride

A Little Night Ride  
By Yukira Disclaimer: Do I own the characters? Hmm.well, NO!!  
  
Author's Note: Hello. It is the author named Yukira that goes by her internet alibi "Professor". Basically, this is about how Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao take a ride at midnight to the forest and accidentally.well.read it for yourself! It scared me while I wrote it.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Xiao Qiao held up her car keys and jingled them in front of Da Qiao. "Wanna go for a ride?"  
  
Da Qiao looked up from her book and shook her head.  
  
"Aww, come on." Pleaded Xiao.  
  
Da Qiao glared at Xiao Qiao. "Um, I really need to finish this book so I can join the book club tomorrow."  
  
Xiao Qiao frowned in mock disgust. "Gimme that! Who needs to join a stupid book club!?"  
  
Da Qiao sighed. "Well, for one thing, it would look good on my resume."  
  
"What book is that?"  
  
Da Qiao showed the cover. "The Art of War."  
  
"Well, can we go for a ride? Please?"  
  
Looking at the clock, Da Qiao replied, "It is pretty late. Almost midnight already."  
  
"Exactly! You'll see why."  
  
Da Qiao sighed again and closed her book. "Alright. But we have to be home before one."  
  
Moments later, Xiao was in the driver's seat and Da was in the passenger seat.  
  
"Y'know, it would be a lot safer if I drove." offered Da Qiao.  
  
Xiao Qiao put her hands on her hips and frowned. "What? Are you saying I'm a bad driver?"  
  
"No, it's just that-oh never mind! Besides, where are we going?"  
  
Xiao Qiao smiled. "Well, one of my coworkers said that there is a haunted cemetery in the Sacred Forest."  
  
"And you believe that?"  
  
"No," replied Xiao, "I'm just going to see if it's true or not."  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Da looked out the window. No one else was on the road. Was it really that late?  
  
"Xiao," confided Da Qiao, "I don't think we should go."  
  
Xiao snickered. "What? Don't tell me you're scared!"  
  
"I'm not scared!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I dare you to go into the cemetery alone and stay there-for an hour!"  
  
Da Qiao sighed again. "There could be rapists and murderers in there. Your head is filled with childish nonsense."  
  
"Ooh! An insult! Why don't you say it to my face!?"  
  
Da sighed. "All right then! Your head is filled with-"  
  
"Hey! Look!" exclaimed Xiao, pointing to a sign on the road.  
  
"We're here," gasped Da Qiao.  
  
Xiao Qiao grinned. "Um, you go into the forest. I'll just stay here and wait for you."  
  
"Hey! This was your idea. We both have to go."  
  
Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao grabbed a few flashlights and Xiao's cell phone. They walked into the forest silently.  
  
Xiao Qiao pushed a few small trees aside to reveal-a cemetery!  
  
"So it's true," she gasped.  
  
Da Qiao laughed. "Look, just because there's a cemetery doesn't mean it's haunted. Lighten up, okay?"  
  
Xiao Qiao sighed for the first time. "Okay. Let's check it out, then."  
  
The two sisters walked into the cemetery, staying close. There were various graves with mysterious carvings on them that gave an impression of the cemetery being haunted.  
  
Fog started to flow into the cemetery. Da Qiao felt someone grab her arm.  
  
"Xiao Qiao, if you were so scared, why did you want to come here? Let go of my arm."  
  
"Da, I'm not grabbing your arm." cried out Xiao.  
  
Suddenly, a dark figure ran past the sisters.  
  
"AAAAAHHHH!!" screamed Xiao and Da. "It IS haunted!!! RUN!"  
  
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao ran back in the direction that they had come from. Xiao bumped into a tree branch and dropped her flashlight. Finally, the sisters made it to the car, Xiao being in the driver's seat.  
  
"We have to go," panted Xiao, "Now! Before they mark us!"  
  
Da Qiao looked confused. "Mark us?"  
  
Xiao nodded. "Exactly. If we stay long enough, the ghosts will leave something on us."  
  
Da Qiao checked her arms and legs but found nothing. "Xiao, start the car!"  
  
Xiao Qiao practically stomped on the gas pedal. Da Qiao looked behind her and-  
  
"XIAO QIAO!!! LOOK!!" cried out Da Qiao, pointing at something behind her.  
  
Xiao Qiao looked into the rear view mirror and saw a message haphazardly written in blood: DEATH.  
  
Xiao Qiao started to drive faster and faster until-  
  
WHUMP!!  
  
Da Qiao tapped Xiao's shoulder. "Stop the car. What was that?"  
  
"We-I-I don't know," replied Xiao with a shaky voice. "You go see what it is."  
  
"I can't. They've already marked us."  
  
Xiao Qiao looked bewildered. "What if we ran over somebody?"  
  
Da Qiao looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, that means we can't tell anyone. Not even Sun Ce and Zhou Yu."  
  
Xiao nodded. "Agreed."  
  
Both sisters were silent on the way home.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Well, how's that for chapter 1? Was it good? Bad? BOTH!? Am I good at writing horror and suspense? Or was it too predictable? Please review! (preferably no flames) Thank you for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Truth

A Little Night Ride  
By Yukira Tsurama  
Chapter 2  
  
Author's Notes: This is the chapter that Zhou Yu and Sun Ce show up. Here is also a small thank you for: Ekatay, Lady Qiao, Chibipearball, Lynn, and Reika. Thank you for reviewing! It really inspires me to write.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Daylight. Xiao Qiao pulled the blanket off of her and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were bags under them too. Xiao got up and entered the bathroom.  
  
Xiao Qiao picked up her light blue toothbrush (Da Qiao's was pink) and squirted out some toothpaste on it. When she was done brushing her teeth, she walked towards the kitchen.  
  
Da Qiao was sitting at the table, back turned to Xiao, sipping a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper.  
  
"Good morning," greeted Da Qiao, without even looking at Xiao.  
  
Xiao Qiao stood there, arms akimbo. "How did you know I was here?"  
  
"You brush your teeth too loud."  
  
Xiao Qiao grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and helped herself to some coffee. Da Qiao looked over. Her eyes looked as bad as Xiao's.  
  
"You didn't sleep well last night?" asked Da Qiao.  
  
Xiao Qiao sighed. "No."  
  
"Me neither."  
  
Da Qiao handed Xiao the Funnies section of the newspaper. "Anyways, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are taking us out tonight."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Da Qiao grinned. "What's wrong? You usually ask where we go every time."  
  
"Alright. Where are we going?"  
  
"Well," replied Da, stirring her coffee, "They said we're going to some sushi restaurant."  
  
Xiao groaned. "Great. That's just what I need. Raw fish."  
  
"What's so bad about it? Last month we went out for sushi and you thought it was okay."  
  
"After what happened last night," answered Xiao, "I'll probably barf."  
  
"This morning," said Da Qiao, her voice suddenly serious, "I washed the car and the mark on the back was drawn in blood."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Today, I'm going to find more information about ghosts."  
  
"Count me out," muttered Xiao Qiao, "I'm watching TV."  
  
"No you're not. You are going to help me."  
  
(15 minutes later.)  
  
Da Qiao read out some text from an old thick book: "According to a certain urban legend, if a ghost marks you, something bad will happen to you in seven days, depending on the mark."  
  
Xiao had been looking up a page in another book and fell asleep while doing so.  
  
"Xiao," asked Da Qiao, "Are you listening?"  
  
"Huh? What? Oh! Right.um, yeah."  
  
Da folded her arms. "Okay then, what did I say?"  
  
"Erm, you said.marks in blood are bad luck?"  
  
"Nevermind. So have you found anything?"  
  
Xiao Qiao frantically flipped through the book. "Um, well."  
  
"I guess not."  
  
Da Qiao continued to search through the index. Xiao Qiao looked at her.  
  
"What is it, Xiao?"  
  
"I was wondering.how long do we have to do research?"  
  
"Until we can find something that explains what happened to us."  
  
Xiao Qiao shuddered. "What do you think we ran over yesterday?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Just guess."  
  
"C'mon, we have to do more resear-"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Look."  
  
Da Qiao had found something in the book. The pages read: There is a special message that ghosts rarely use on people. The message is DEATH. Whoever is marked with it will be murdered by an evil spirit in five days.  
  
"Xiao, we have four more days to live."  
  
For five hours, Da and Xiao watched TV and ate nothing except for cotton candy. Then, it was five.  
  
"Xiao, we have to get ready."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao entered their separate rooms and began to get dressed. Da Qiao opened her closet doors and searched through her dresses. The first dress she considered was a light pinkish color. The second one was a deep red sleeveless dress. Da decided to go with something more Japanese looking. She searched until she found a pink flower kimono. Da Qiao changed into the kimono and tied her hair into a ponytail. When she was ready, she left the room and saw Xiao Qiao in the living room. Xiao was wearing a blue butterfly kimono and her light brown hair was down. A flower hairclip kept hair from covering her face.  
  
The doorbell rang. It was nearly six. Xiao opened the door and saw Zhou Yu and Sun Ce smiling at them.  
  
"So where are we going?" asked Xiao.  
  
"We are going," answered Zhou Yu, "to a new sushi place, Nagoya One."  
  
"Okay. Let's go."  
  
When the group was seated in the car, Sun Ce began driving, with Zhou Yu constantly giving him directions.  
  
"Something's wrong," whispered Xiao, poking her sister, "They seem too overly happy, but quiet."  
  
"I thought they were always like that," whispered Da Qiao.  
  
"You'll see later."  
  
Sun Ce stopped the car in front of the restaurant and they left the car and entered. A waitress seated them at a table.  
  
"So, Xiao? What would you like to drink?" asked Zhou Yu when another waitress came over.  
  
"Green tea."  
  
Zhou Yu frowned. "Iced green tea?"  
  
"No! Hot green tea, no sugar."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
"I'll take hot green tea too." Said Da Qiao.  
  
"Copycat," whispered Xiao, elbowing her sister.  
  
Da Qiao stuck out her tongue at Xiao.  
  
Sun Ce passed out menus to the rest of the group. "So what sounds good?"  
  
"Do they have anything cooked?" implored Xiao.  
  
"Well, they have teriyaki chicken, steak, and-"  
  
"Chicken." Answered Xiao promptly.  
  
"Me too." Said Da Qiao, grinning at Xiao.  
  
Xiao Qiao ignored her sister and pretended to read the rest of the menu.  
  
"So," asked Sun Ce, a smile playing on his lips, "Anything interesting happen?"  
  
Zhou Yun elbowed Sun Ce, who let out a small chuckle.  
  
"Uh," replied Da, "No, nothing interesting at all."  
  
Zhou Yu tried to hold back laughter. "I mean, like a certain ghost-"  
  
Suddenly, Xiao stood up and pointed an accusatory finger at Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.  
  
"So you pulled a prank on us! Admit it!"  
  
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce were laughing hard. People from the other tables were staring.  
  
"Aha, how smart you are, Xiao." Cried out Sun Ce, still laughing.  
  
"You should have seen yourself when Ce grabbed your arm!" added Zhou Yu.  
  
"So you grabbed my arm!" exclaimed Da Qiao.  
  
"Wait a minute."  
  
"What is it Xiao?" asked Zhou Yu, voice serious.  
  
"Who's blood did you use for the mark?"  
  
Sun Ce grinned. "We used pork blood."  
  
"How clever." Said Da Qiao. "What did we actually run over?"  
  
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were quiet. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Aww, come on. You two aren't fooling me anymore." Replied Da. "What did we run over while we were in the car?"  
  
Sun Ce's face turned pale. "I swear, Da, we didn't put anything on the road. Nothing at all."  
  
"Well," answered Xiao, "Seeing that we already know you pulled the prank, you can tell us what you did."  
  
"No," proclaimed Zhou Yu, "Sun Ce's right. We didn't do anything else."  
  
Da and Xiao felt their blood run cold.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
So how was chapter two? Scary? Bad? Boring? C'mon, you can tell me! So now, it seems that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu pulled the prank, but what did Da and Xiao run over? A person? A monster? Who knows?  
  
Thanks for reading. Please review. Need suggestions.  
  
Until then, Bye! 


	3. Chapter 3: First Encounter

A Little Night Ride  
By Yukira Tsurama  
Chapter 3  
  
Author's Notes: Not very many notes, just enjoy! BTW: Small thank you for: Lady Qiao, Black Phoenix, kelley, and BenneyC for reviewing. Thanks.  
  
A little note for BenneyC, though: Yes, there weren't cars in the Three Kingdoms era. This fanfic takes place in the future. (It's a long story and if I told you, you'd fall asleep, okay?) And the line, "There could be rapists and murderers in there. Your head is filled with childish nonsense." I dunno, there could be rapists and murderers, people these days. The second line you quoted, "There were various graves with mysterious carvings that gave the cemetery the impression of being haunted." Hmm, I guess that I'll edit Chapter 2 a little. The part where Xiao runs over something in the car, that was surprisingly easy to write, for some reason, although I felt as if being watched while typing the story. The third line, "According to a certain urban legend" you're probably right, I just thought it sounded okay. And I'm changing the title of chapter 2. BTW: I like long reviews.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
One of the waitresses carried their food over to the table but the Qiao sisters weren't feeling quite hungry anymore. The food was very appealing: chicken teriyaki, shrimp and vegetable tempura, rice, and a few pieces of sushi. (Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had ordered sushi.)  
  
Xiao Qiao, known for her ravenous appetite, only poked at the food and managed a few tiny bites.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Zhou Yu.  
  
"Well," began Da Qiao, "We'll have to tell you later."  
  
Finally, it was too much for little Xiao. She began crying, saying, "I'm not a murderer! I'm not!"  
  
Da Qiao glanced around to see people staring at her sister. "Xiao, shhh!"  
  
Zhou Yu patted Xiao Qiao on the back. "It's okay." He began but Xiao moved away.  
  
"What happened?" asked Sun Ce.  
  
No one answered his question.  
  
Xiao Qiao began to drink tea. Da Qiao started to eat the tempura vegetables.  
  
Twenty-five minutes later, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu had finished their sushi. Da Qiao ate half of her food, and Xiao was still drinking tea.  
  
The waitress walked over. "Would you like a to-go box?"  
  
Xiao nodded.  
  
On the way back to the Qiaos' home, Da Qiao spoke. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
When Zhou Yu and Sun Ce entered the house, Da Qiao went to the kitchen.  
  
"What would you like?" she asked.  
  
"Champagne." Answered Sun Ce.  
  
"Me too." Added Zhou Yu.  
  
"What would you like, Xiao?" asked Da.  
  
"Just soda." Was the reply.  
  
A few minutes later, Da Qiao brought over four wine glasses: two filled with champagne and the other two with orange soda.  
  
"So what was it that you were going to tell us?" implored Zhou Yu.  
  
Da Qiao sipped from her glass. "Your prank was 'amusing' enough, but unless you are keeping something from us, there's ahem, a little problem."  
  
Sun Ce cocked his head. "What kind of problem, exactly?"  
  
"Your prank seemed to frighten us that badly. Xiao kept speeding until we eventually ran over an unidentified object, leaving my poor sister to think that she killed someone."  
  
"Have you checked it out yet?"  
  
"We were too scared."  
  
Sun Ce snorted. "Yeah, figures. You two are scared of clowns, even."  
  
Zhou Yu elbowed him.  
  
Little Xiao finally spoke. "We are NOT afraid of clowns!"  
  
Sun Ce's voice took on a serious tone. "We should see what you ran over tonight."  
  
The group seated themselves in the car and Zhou Yu checked through their inventory.  
  
"Flashlights, cell phone, camera-"  
  
"You're going to take pictures!?" exclaimed Xiao Qiao.  
  
"Well, for my web site." explained Zhou Yu.  
  
"I guess this is all we need. Let's go!" said Da Qiao.  
  
On the way to the forest, Da Qiao noticed Xiao shaking.  
  
Da Qiao stared out the window. There was a full moon that night, and it illuminated everything around it. The forest looked so tranquil, and Da began to relax, feeling that the incident near the forest never happened.  
  
Sun Ce's voice interrupted Da Qiao's thoughts. "So where did Xiao, you know."  
  
"Keep going, it's near the large tree, the one that is nearly split in the center." whimpered Xiao Qiao.  
  
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu looked outside the car. "Are you sure this is the spot?" asked Zhou Yu. "I don't see anything.wait!"  
  
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu led the two frightened sisters out of the car. Ce turned on a flashlight. Xiao Qiao covered her face with her hands. Da Qiao sighed and stared. There was a large spot on the ground covered with dry blood.  
  
"I don't get it," began Sun Ce scratching his head. "There's no body."  
  
Xiao reluctantly peeked.  
  
Da Qiao walked around the area, stopped and turned around, facing the rest of the group, speaking in a know-it-all tone of voice. "See, there's nothing here so we can just-"  
  
"DA QIAO!! BEHIND YOU!!" screamed Xiao, now beginning to cry.  
  
There was indeed something behind Da Qiao. It was a large figure clad in a cape and a hood, when Da Qiao turned around, she couldn't see the face. The hands were shriveled, and fresh blood dripped from its mouth.  
  
Da Qiao screamed and ran away. The figure hissed and swiped at Da Qiao with its long, dirty claws. Sun Ce ran towards Da and carried her away in his arms. The figure pointed at the group with one long claw. Sun Ce saw the figure's eyes. They were a lit up red.  
  
Zhou Yu pushed Xiao Qiao in the car and motioned for Sun Ce to carry Da Qiao inside.  
  
"CE! GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!!" he shouted, but to no avail. Sun Ce seemed to be hypnotized by the figure's eyes.  
  
Zhou Yu reached into the front seat. He grabbed a flashlight and a hand gun.  
  
"CE!" he tried for the last time.  
  
Zhou Yu turned on the flashlight and shined it into the figure's face. He nearly fainted.  
  
The figure's face bore large tumors. The skin was scarred and it looked like the figure had suffered severe burns on its face.  
  
Seizing the opportunity, the figure ignored Sun Ce and Da Qiao and ran towards Zhou Yu. Taking aim, Zhou Yu pulled the trigger-  
  
And nothing happened. The gun wasn't loaded.  
  
"Shit!" thought Zhou Yu. The figure was coming closer and closer.Xiao was screaming.  
  
And then Zhou Yu remembered the dagger that Sun Ce gave to him as a gift on his thirteenth birthday. From that day on, Zhou Yu always carried it with him, dagger in its sheath hung on his belt.  
  
Zhou Yu pulled out the dagger effortlessly and stabbed the figure in the heart. It hissed in agony, but didn't die. It ran off into the forest and seemed to disappear.  
  
"Sun Ce, Da Qiao, are you alright?" asked Zhou Yu, touching his friend's shoulder.  
  
Sun Ce blinked and faced Zhou Yu. "I-I couldn't move.the eyes."  
  
Zhou Yu led the couple back to the car. "It's gone now, but-"  
  
"But what?"  
  
"I'm afraid it isn't dead." Replied Zhou Yu, shaking his head sadly. "I'm afraid that it will come back for us, what ever it was."  
  
"How will we stop it?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Da Qiao regained consciousness. "It's-It's gone?"  
  
Zhou Yu stared at the ground. "For now."  
  
Xiao Qiao opened the door to the car and hugged her sister.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice shaky.  
  
Da Qiao managed a small laugh. "I thought I'd be asking you that tonight. I think I'm okay."  
  
Sun Ce looked at his arm and then Da Qiao's back. "Da, you're bleeding!"  
  
Da Qiao went inside the car. "We'd better go now."  
  
This time, Zhou Yu drove the car home.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Hmm, seems to be turning out nicely, don't you think? Great, I'm going to have nightmares now. *sigh*  
  
How was it? Scary? Good? Bad? Tell me! Please be kind and review!  
  
Until then, Bye! 


	4. Chapter 4: Second Encounter

A Little Night Ride  
By Yukira  
Chapter 4  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.  
  
Author's Notes: A little while since I've updated. Well, I had a nightmare again so I guess I'll use that for the base of a few chapters. Thank you's for: Miss Da Qiao, Lady Qiao, BenneyC, Black Phoenix, WorstWriterEvera, tara, kelley, Chibipearball, lacitar13, and Xiao Qiao.  
  
And then a few questions answered:  
  
1. Zhou Yu has a website with pictures of roadkill or something? No, just a site with weird stuff.  
  
2. Why did Zhou Yu and Sun Ce pull that prank on them? Just for fun, and a certain comeback for a prank that the Qiaos pulled on them.  
  
3. How old do you suppose they all are? Da is 24, Xiao is 21, Sun Ce is 25, and Zhou Yu is 24.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Da Qiao looked out of the car window again. The moon was covered by clouds. Her wounds had stopped bleeding.  
  
"We'll have to all stay at one house tonight." Said Sun Ce.  
  
Xiao Qiao was curious. "How come?"  
  
"In the horror movies, if people are separated, they can get killed or eaten faster. The closer we stay together, the safer we will be." Replied Zhou Yu.  
  
Da Qiao shifted uneasily in her seat. "I guess you're right. But what if it's residing at our house, hmm?"  
  
Ce laughed. "Then I guess we'll have to narrow it down to one room."  
  
Finally, the group was back in front of the Qiao's home. Xiao Qiao skipped up to the house on the sidewalk and stopped when she heard a rustling in the bushes.  
  
Da seemed to be faintly annoyed. "Xiao, move it!"  
  
"There's something in there!" whimpered Xiao, pointing to the bushes.  
  
Zhou Yu walked over and kicked the bushes. It was nothing except a cat.  
  
Xiao Qiao sighed and laughed feebly as Da stared at her from behind. Xiao opened the door to the house and turned on the light.  
  
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce followed the sisters into the house. The four tiptoed together into Xiao's room, the largest bedroom in the house.  
  
Xiao Qiao lay down on her bed and feigned sleep. Zhou Yu entered the room and raised his right eyebrow in mock annoyance.  
  
"You can stop faking, I know you're awake."  
  
Xiao Qiao sat up and started laughing. "You probably did, but tonight I get the bed!"  
  
After the group had changed into their sleeping clothes, Xiao sat on her bed and cuddled a teddy bear. Da Qiao, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu slipped into their sleeping bags.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Xiao woke up in the middle of the night. Her throat felt dry. She looked over. Sun Ce was snoring loudly, Zhou Yu had his head rested on a pillow, and Da Qiao was sleeping peacefully. Xiao Qiao decided to get a drink of water.  
  
Xiao Qiao grabbed a small glass from a cabinet and walked over to the water cooler. She dispensed some water and began to drink, smiling contentedly.  
  
Suddenly, Xiao heard a 'whoosh' sound coming from the darkness (the living room) and a figure passed by quickly.  
  
"Da Qiao? Is that you?"  
  
The figure whooshed by again.  
  
"Zhou Yu? Sun Ce?"  
  
Xiao approached the darkness slowly and then all of the lights went out.  
  
Xiao couldn't see anything but she could make out a figure coming closer and closer...  
  
Finally, something pushed her and she fell back. Xiao Qiao crawled away.  
  
Xiao, backed against a cabinet, tried to slide away from the figure but it advanced towards her. Xiao let out a scream.  
  
The figure was an inch away from Xiao Qiao. Xiao could feel it breathing over her neck.  
  
And then, the kitchen lights went on. Da Qiao, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu were standing near the switch. And then there was the hooded monster crouched over Xiao.  
  
The monster quickly glanced at the trio, broke the kitchen window and glided out. It was gone.  
  
Xiao was huddled against the kitchen counter, whimpering.  
  
"Xiao? Are you okay?" asked Da Qiao and Zhou Yu. Sun Ce tried to stay awake from behind them.  
  
Xiao Qiao was still whimpering, even though the monster was already gone.  
  
Zhou Yu walked forward and picked up Xiao, then set her on her bed. Da Qiao, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu went back to sleep, but Xiao Qiao couldn't sleep that night, in the middle of the night, Da Qiao could hear her little sister shuddering.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
"He is the one that plagues my dreams."  
  
She ran into her house, locking the door behind her.  
  
"The devourer of souls,"  
  
And then he appeared before her.  
  
"Should I give up?"  
  
Running into the basement, she locked the door and barricaded it.  
  
"How he hunts me down like this, I feel as if I cannot take it anymore!"  
  
She took a flashlight with her and hid behind a shelf.  
  
"Is there any way to stop him?"  
  
And then the window broke, glass shattering into tiny shards.  
  
"Will my life have been lived in vain?"  
  
And there he was, his head no longer covered by the hood. And he lunged at her...  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Xiao Qiao screamed into the night.  
  
Da Qiao woke first. "Xiao, what's wrong?"  
  
Xiao sat up and began crying, while cuddling a teddy bear. "I-I don't know! It was like... It was like..."  
  
Zhou Yu, waking up second, sat up as well. "I think she's been traumatized."  
  
Sun Ce woke up last. "Do you think she should see a psychiatrist?"  
  
Zhou Yu and Da Qiao glared at him. "NO!"  
  
"Seriously," explained Zhou Yu, "the psychiatrist will think she's deranged!"  
  
Sun Ce hesitated. "Well, she'll have to tell someone about this..."  
  
Da Qiao agreed. "I guess so, but not yet."  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Well, all my chapters are shorter, but at least they're here! Heh heh...  
  
Please Review! Be kind! Help a fellow fanfic writer!  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Yuki chan 


	5. Chapter 5: Master Pang Tong

A Little Night Ride  
By Yukira  
Chapter 5  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters...  
  
Author's Notes: I've been neglecting this fanfic for a while, and I'm in the mood to write horror...so...Enjoy!  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
For Xiao Qiao, the night never seemed to end. She kept hearing noises outside of the room but saw nothing.  
  
Glancing down, she smiled seeing her sister, Zhou Yu, and Sun Ce sleep peacefully. Would she ever sleep like them again?  
  
For the first time that night, Xiao began to relax. They were here, and she was safe. She cuddled the teddy bear and began to drift away to sleep, slowly...until--  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
He wandered through the forest, in pursuit of the forbidden one.  
  
Something rustled in the bushes; he whacked it with his lightning staff. Where ever the kuroi-oni was, it was not here.  
  
And then he could hear whispering noises all around him.  
  
He raised his staff and proceeded to whack everything in sight.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Zhou Yu awoke from his slumber. He heard something hit the outside of the house repeatedly.  
  
"Hey, Sun Ce!" whispered Yu, tapping Sun Ce's shoulder anxiously. "Get up!"  
  
Sun Ce only turned in his sleep with his back facing Yu.  
  
Zhou Yu eyed his friend menacingly, as if he were to emerge alert any second. A few minutes later, he gave up and took a flashlight with him to see what the commotion was.  
  
There were creaky noises following him wherever he went and Yu tried not to panic, thinking the 'happy' thoughts to himself.  
As Zhou Yu headed though the backyard outside the gate door, the whacking noises got louder and louder...  
  
Bracing himself, he picked up a rake and tiptoed behind several bushes to surprise this foe.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Suddenly, he heard something heavy twitching in a bush nearby. Crouching and advancing slowly, he saw...  
  
Claws!  
  
He prepared himself to attack the creature in the bush.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Zhou Yu could see his foe more clearly. It was some sort of monster that was similar to the one that they encountered, but less threatening. It also seemed to be heading for him, raising some sort of pole arm.  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
"Watashi wa anata o korosu, Kuroi-Oni!" he shouted, raising his staff and bringing it down on the creature's head.  
  
In response, the creature yelled out in pain, except now, he could tell it wasn't the creature. It was a man.  
  
"Hey wait! I'm not--"  
  
He stood, one arm firmly holding the staff, the other holding out his hand to help up the man.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am Zhou Yu."  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Da Qiao stretched her arms out a bit. Her wounds stopped hurting that night, no thanks to painkiller, but her own homeopathic remedies.  
  
She was feeling quite content that night. Xiao Qiao finally got to sleep, Sun Ce was snoring loudly as usual, and Zhou Yu...  
  
Da Qiao glanced over at Zhou Yu's spot, but he was missing. And then the back door opened; she could hear heavy footsteps that didn't sound like Yu's at all...  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
Zhou Yu flicked the kitchen lights on, then proceeded to pour out beer for himself and the stranger.  
  
As the stranger took a seat at the table, Yu stole a quick glance at him. The stranger's face was barely visible, he was wearing a...sombrero? He was also clad in a green cloak, a veil, and baggy forest green pants. He looked like a hobo.  
  
"So what's your name?"  
  
The stranger grimaced after tasting the beer, then answered. "They call me Pang Tong. Master Pang Tong."  
  
"May I ask why? Are you a karate instructor or--"  
  
Sun Ce was interrupted as Pang Tong executed a whack on Zhou Yu.  
  
"Do I look Japanese to you!? I'm the same ethnicity as you, man! Chinese!"  
  
"But earlier, I could tell that you were speaking Japanese--"  
  
Both guys were interrupted as Da Qiao ran by and flung a glass at Pang Tong.  
  
"Zhou Yu! Escape! Now's your chance!"  
  
Zhou Yu raised one eyebrow. "Da Qiao, settle down. He's not dangerous."  
  
"What do you mean I'm not dangerous!? I'm about to kick your ass now..."  
  
"Err, no. I meant not *that* kind of dangerous."  
  
Pang Tong sat on his seat and gulped down the rest of his beer. "Yeah, just watch it, kid."  
  
Zhou Yu twitched. "So what were you doing in the forest?"  
  
"Hey hey! That's for ME to know and YOU to find out, kid!"  
  
Yu frowned slightly. "What is the creature that you call Kuroi- Oni?"  
  
"Nyah! I'm not telling!"  
  
Da Qiao then spoke up. "Sir, we encountered a creature earlier that could be the creature you are searching for. At least tell us what it is."  
  
Pang Tong seemed pleased at Da Qiao's request. He crossed his legs and took on a serious look.  
  
"The Kuroi-Oni is a dark creature of the night. It resides in the dark forest during daytime and comes out to prey on people at night. When it comes out of it's hiding place, it wears a black cape and hood. The flesh is always shriveled up. The face bears scars and burn marks. I doubt it is human."  
  
Zhou Yu and Da Qiao exchanged looks with Pang Tong in the middle, eyeing both of them.  
  
"I think that this creature that you are describing is the one that attacked me."  
  
"It attacked you and you lived?"  
  
"I have the wounds on my back."  
  
Da Qiao unbuttoned two of the buttons on the back of her nightshirt, showing the wounds (A/N: And nothing else! It's bad, thinking dirty!).  
  
In response, Pang Tong gasped. (A/N: Thinking dirty=Bad!)  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Pang Tong rolled up his sleeve. On his heavily tanned skin, Da Qiao could see several long scars, probably from scratch marks similar to her own.  
  
"It attacked you?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
Da Qiao and Zhou Yu stared.  
  
"All right! I'll break it down into English for you! YES!"  
  
*~~~~*~~~~*  
  
I'm so ashamed, my chapters are getting shorter and shorter! Waah!  
  
Maybe I'll be encouraged to write longer chapters if the reviews start coming in fast, y'know what I mean?  
  
Yup. Thought so. 


	6. Chapter 6: Pang Tong's Demise

A Little Night Ride  
Chapter 6  
By Yukira Tsurama  
  
Disclaimer: The Dynasty Warriors series belong to Koei, you know the rest...  
  
Author's Notes: ...(speechless, oh, and thanks to the people that reviewed~!)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sun Ce woke peacefully sometime at noon, glancing around at the emptiness that surrounded him. He had slept rather soundly, and he felt as if there were no monsters or "evil creatures of the night" to terrorize him. He stretched out his arms widely, and yawned as he entered the kitchen. What he saw next made him recoil in surprise.  
  
There was a short, hooded man with a cape and ragged pants. He looked filthy and he was now relaxing on a chair.  
  
"W-Who the hell are you and what are you doing here!?"  
  
The strange little man glanced up, his face, except for his eyes, covered with a few rags. The man only snorted and glanced forward.  
  
"Who are you!?" inquired Sun Ce, more forcefully this time.  
  
The man only glanced oddly at Sun Ce again, then lazily replied, "Do you deserve to know who I am?"  
  
Ce frowned indignantly. "You're in my--uh--my fiancé's house and I have no idea who you are!"  
  
"Fine..." The man propped his feet up on the table. "I am Master Pang Tong."  
  
" 'Master' Pang Tong? What are you--"  
  
"Shut up." Snapped Pang Tong.  
  
Their little exchange was interrupted as Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, and Zhou Yu entered the house through the front door. Each of them were holding large stacks of books. "Not a good sign," thought Sun Ce.  
  
It was Xiao Qiao that greeted Sun Ce cheerfully. "Oh, hi Ce. You're up. Did you get acquainted with Master Pang Tong?"  
  
Ce gritted his teeth and glared at the now-triumphant strange little man. "Yes."  
  
Da Qiao set down the books and began to search through them, glancing at their titles. Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao followed suit.  
  
Sun Ce now looked surprised and somewhat fearful. "We-We're going to read through all of THOSE?"  
  
Zhou Yu smiled. "No, you and Master Pang Tong get the job of 'demon- proofing' the house. All you need to do is buy these items." Yu picked up a long list of items and handed it to Sun Ce.  
  
Da Qiao nodded as Sun Ce and Master Pang Tong were about to leave. "And if you come back while the house is empty, just go to sleep. Me, Xiao, and Zhou will be at the library for a long time. Okay?"  
  
Sun Ce groaned. "Okay."  
  
~*~  
  
Ce skimmed through the list of items quickly as he drove Master Pang Tong to a secluded little marketplace featuring merchandise that claimed to exorcise demons, summon ghosts, and the like. Truth was, although Ce put up a tough front, things like this really scared him.  
  
Master Pang Tong made no effort to start a conversation and just stared out the window as they passed vast fields and dilapidated buildings. Sun Ce tried to read his expression, but it seemed impossible.  
  
Ce found that there were many parking lots available. He parked the car in one and began to walk to the market, reluctantly.  
  
Sun Ce felt scared as he viewed the inside of the market. Strange, horror-movie-like items were propped up on shelves and displays. There were hardly any people inside...  
  
Ce surveyed the list again and began to search for the items in the store. As he walked through vast collections of "merchandise", he didn't notice the shopkeeper.  
  
Master Pang Tong stared towards the front desk. Ce noticed it too. A shiveled old woman stood there, no more than 4 feet in height. She looked Ce straight in the eye, and he shivered, gazing back into her cold eyes.  
  
Master Pang Tong snatched the list out of Ce's hands and brought it up to the shopkeeper. The little shopkeeper woman smiled an eerie, cold- looking smile and nodded. "Oh yes, we have these items here."  
  
Sun Ce and Pang Tong waited as the little woman gathered all the items on the list with extreme agility, to Ce's amazement. After a few minutes of waiting, she told Sun Ce that the price for the items happened to be a little over five-hundred dollars.  
  
Muttering to himself, he pulled out a large stack of bills and handed it to the shopkeeper. He and Master Pang Tong walked out with their arms full.  
  
~*~  
  
It was 4 already, and she, Xiao, and Zhou Yu had already gone through all of their books. No vital information at all.  
  
"Alright," sighed Da Qiao. "Let's go to the library."  
  
As the trio walked out the door, Da Qiao strangely felt someone--or something-- watching her, as if it were predator and she was prey. She paid no further attention to it as Zhou Yu drove them to the local library.  
  
~*~  
  
The library was a huge place, and Xiao Qiao felt as if she'd get lost easily in there. Endless numbers of books filled countless bookshelves and lots of people--mainly college students--were moving about, searching for books, studying at tables.  
  
There was a computer lab in the east wing of the library that had internet, as well as a snack bar.  
  
Zhou Yu headed off to find some books while Da Qiao went to the computer lab. Xiao Qiao went in her own direction, probably to the snack bar.  
  
~*~  
  
(A/N: Focusing on Zhou Yu cuz I never do!)  
  
Zhou Yu gasped when he saw the bookshelfs in the vast room. Each shelf must have been 40 feet high, and very wide, with thousands of books. He had a headache just looking at it, but he would still search everywhere; his life as well as his loved ones' were at risk. Sighing dutifully, he began to forage in the depths of the deep dark library.  
  
However, someone else was in there as well.  
  
~*~  
  
Da Qiao noticed countless lists of rules plastered on all of the walls in the computer lab and seated herself gingerly at a nearby computer, then opened an internet browser. After going to a search engine, she typed her query and found some useless junk. After typing in other key words, still junk and useless filtered information that looked all too similar to previous information she had already encountered.  
  
After trying other various search engines, Da Qiao felt like quitting.  
  
~*~  
  
Xiao Qiao was eating popcorn rapidly by the handful. So what if she wasn't helping out with the research? Research wasn't her thing. And every time she at least tried to help, she ended up making the situation worse than before. The only thing she was good for was...looking cute.  
  
Sighing heavily, Xiao went back in the line to buy a drink.  
  
~*~  
  
Zhou Yu had wondered before on how to reach high enough to see the titles of the books, then he found a few tall ladders that were somewhat shifty looking, but the only method of reaching high enough.  
  
Trying to balance his weight evenly, Zhou Yu steadily got up the ladder. Looking down, he saw that he was 20 feet from the ground. This made him a bit nervous.  
  
He scanned the spines of old crumbly books that were on the shelves, but found nothing useful. He kept searching...and then--  
  
" 'A Guide to Defeating Creatures of the Night'", quoted Zhou Yu as he brushed some dust off a leather-bound book.  
  
Unfortunately, the shelf right in front of him tilted over...Zhou Yu tried to shout for help, but no sound emerged from his throat. He could only await his fate as the bookshelf tumbled down, sending him and the ladder to the ground.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Demon-proofing the house didn't seem so hard anymore. He and "Master" Pang Tong had secured most of the area, and it was getting late.  
  
Master Pang Tong noticed that Sun Ce was yawning. "Hey...kid, go turn in for the night. I'll go take care of the rest of this."  
  
Sun Ce, obviously very tired, showed resentment at being called "kid", but he was grateful that he could go to sleep now. He rushed out of the living room into the bathroom, where he took a quick shower.  
  
~*~  
  
Sun Ce was taking a shower. Master Pang Tong was almost finished demon-proofing the house, until he heard a strange sound. Pang Tong knew what this was, and he tried to cast the incantations at a faster pace.  
  
Then the lights in the living room went out. Pang Tong was in trouble now. Something large and menacing loomed over his fallen body in the darkness, feeding on his current fear.  
  
Master Pang Tong's shriek was never heard in the depths of the night.  
  
~*~  
  
After a nice, refreshing shower, Sun Ce forgot that he had run out of toothpaste. Then he saw Master Pang Tong's tube of toothpaste on the counter.  
  
"Hey! Master Pang Tong! Can I borrow your toothpaste?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"Master Pang Tong!?"  
  
Still silence.  
  
"Alright," thought Sun Ce. "He won't mind if I just use...a little."  
  
Sun Ce brushed his teeth using some of Master Pang Tong's toothpaste, then settled off to bed.  
  
~*~  
  
Zhou Yu woke up sporting odd bruises all over his body. He tried to move, but his leg hurt too much. What had happened?  
  
As his vision got clearer, Zhou Yu recognized a color...a pale-ish green. Hospital green, in fact. He was in a hospital.  
  
Xiao Qiao popped in the room holding a bag of jelly beans. Da Qiao followed Xiao in Zhou Yu's hospital room.  
  
"You're awake." Xiao Qiao looked cheerful. Zhou Yu only turned in his bed.  
  
"Xiao Qiao will keep you company here," said Da Qiao, exiting Zhou Yu's room. "I have to check up on Sun Ce and Pang Tong."  
  
"Okay," was Zhou Yu's muffled reply as he buried his face in a pillow.  
  
~*~  
  
When Da Qiao entered the house through the front door, she could hear Sun Ce snoring contentedly, but no sign of "Master" Pang Tong.  
  
But, as she reached the living room, she could only cry out in horror upon seeing Master Pang Tong's mangled and dismembered body.  
  
If Master Pang Tong knew about this creature and still got killed by it, how would she, Xiao, Sun Ce, and Zhou Yu ever survive?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Please...review...for...chapter...even...though...it was...DISTURBING!  
  
Hehe. So tired. 


	7. Chapter 7: The Day After

A Little Night Ride  
Chapter 7  
  
Disclaimer: DW belongs to Koei...and such...  
  
The next day, Da Qiao had a quick, yet heartfelt funeral service for Master Pang Tong. The paperwork was rather hard with the funeral home, because, simply, hardly anyone knew who Pang Tong really was... if that _was_ his real name. Yet, the funeral went as planned; without any interruptions.  
  
Sun Ce seemed to be taking this really hard. Upon waking up to see Pang Tong's mangled corpse, he'd had problems getting to sleep. Finally, he ended up taking too many sleeping pills, and his overdose led to narcolepsy- like symptoms.  
  
Xiao Qiao also attended the funeral, and Zhou Yu was too exhausted to go. He sent his regards, however.  
  
By now, Zhou Yu seemed to be recovering, so Xiao Qiao set off to shake off some stress and go shopping.  
  
Da Qiao was ignorant of Xiao Qiao's plans; Xiao had never told her older sister, fearing that Da would deem shopping during mourning as unethical.  
  
Without Da Qiao, Sun Ce, or Zhou Yu in her presence, Xiao could truly express herself, something that she couldn't do comfortably when the rest of the posse was around. Cheerful energy that had been repressed for the last few days was now being set free.  
  
Although Xiao liked going to the mall, she didn't really do much shopping. Xiao Qiao, despite her clumsiness, had excellent sewing skills and made many of her own clothes. How had she achieved such skill? Lots of hard work and dedication. Lots of ruined fabric. Lots of little 'accidents' with the sewing machine. It was quite humorous, minus the pain.  
  
Xiao Qiao was a somewhat reckless girl; not all the time, but it showed. She was the type of person that could roam around alone for a few hours and not call anyone to tell her where she was, in the event that they would get worried. That was what she did today. It was daylight, and she was safe. She felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders and set free.  
  
A few hours later, Xiao Qiao sat at the edge of a decorative water fountain. She was exhausted. And when she was exhausted, she did something that she never really stopped to do: think.  
  
"Where is the source of my problems?" she thought aloud. "What's causing this?"  
  
She continued to think involuntarily, until she saw something that surprised her.  
  
There was a man with long ebony hair walking around who had his back turned to her. He looked just like Zhou Yu.  
  
Immediately, she sprang up and tapped him on the shoulder. "Yuyu!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"  
  
The man turned around, and it was not Zhou Yu. He stared at Xiao with a confused expression.  
  
Xiao, apparently embarrassed, looked down. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were my fiancé."  
  
The man put his arm around Xiao, smirked and replied, "Maybe I'm not, but I _can_ be!"  
  
Xiao was dumbfounded. It took a moment for her to realize what the man was implying...  
  
"Err, no... that's okay..." Xiao pulled away from the man's grasp and skipped off.  
  
"Stupid jerk. Hitting on me although he knows I'm taken..." Xiao muttered.  
  
Xiao then tapped into her concept of time and realized that it could already be dark outside. Instinctively, she glanced at her watch. It was 8. The mall closed at 11.  
  
Xiao headed for the mall exit, then unaware that someone (or something!) was following her.  
  
Da Qiao arrived at the hospital to check on Xiao Qiao and Zhou Yu. Surprisingly, Xiao wasn't there...  
  
"Where's Xiao?" Da inquired.  
  
Zhou Yu sounded tired. "Oh... I don't know. I was probably asleep when left. But I had the strangest dream. There was a hyper squeaky squirrel saying 'I'm going to the mall! Bye Yuyu!' Funny, huh?"  
  
Da Qiao immediately made her way out of the hospital, into her car, and then set off for the mall.   
  
Xiao Qiao was almost there! The exit was so close! But then, she realized that she was heading the wrong way. Her car was parked in lot B, not lot F. She then turned around and started off the other way.  
  
Xiao had made it halfway there, that is, until the lights went out, leaving her (and 500 other people) in complete darkness.  
  
The instincts of most people told them to scream loudly, which is what they did. The next few moments would be complete and utter chaos, with people running about, bumping into each other in extreme darkness, and...  
  
_"Hey, what if the Kuroi-something was here, too?"_ A sudden thought.  
  
Xiao screamed when someone yanked at her wrist.. She screamed even louder when someone (or something!) grabbed her waist from behind.  
  
"Eee! Let go, let go!" Xiao protested, bawling at the top of her lungs. But it was impossible to hear her with all of the other people yelling too.  
  
And in the background, a devilish fiend (although it could not show emotion) seemed to smirk and wait for the right moment to pounce.  
  
Da Qiao was in a hurry. She seemed horrified by what could happen to her little sister at this time of night. Not only was there the thing that killed Pang Tong, _other_ people could possibly be after her as well!  
  
Da Qiao was a pretty good driver, but now, she drove like a maniac. Countless times she went well above the speed limit, and also steered in multiple directions to get ahead of people.  
  
The traffic lights before her turned red, but Da didn't seem to notice. She only accelerated the speed of the car and nearly crashed into a red truck. Would she get away with this? The police car hiding under the magnolia tree didn't think so.  
  
For the whole day up until now, Sun Ce had trouble staying awake. His eyelids seemed to get heavier and heavier. And when his resolve broke and he fell asleep, he had dreams. Many dreams. Sometimes nightmares. And what was amazing was the fact that he could remember them vividly. _"Too vividly",_ he thought, shuddering.  
  
For the whole day, Sun Ce didn't do anything. Sometimes, he felt like making coffee, but he'd probably find it too hard to focus on the task.  
  
Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were gone, and Sun Ce didn't know where they went. Where was Zhou Yu? _"Ah, yes, Zhou Yu is in the_ _hospital."_ Sun Ce chuckled to himself. Perhaps Da and Xiao were just visiting old buddy Yu, and they'd be back soon.  
  
Feeling rather content, Sun Ce let himself drift off to deep sleep.  
  



End file.
